Means for sealing containers



Nov. 16, 1937. w. H. BEIDER Er AL ,09

MEANS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 24, 1955 Q 15 I A oiiNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE MEANS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Warren H. Beider and Thomas M.

Cunningham,

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to improved means for sealing bottles and other containers and for preventing the faudulent use of refilled containers.

In the usual types of bottles and containers, unscrupulous dealers who obtain possession of the used and discarded packages, may refill them with spurious imitations of the genuine contents and, by the substitution of imitations of the original seals, caps or stoppers and the like, in place of the originals, may palm off or fraudulently substitute and dispose of inferior merchandise for the genuine article, to the loss and damage of the manufacturer of the genuine goods as well as to the detriment of the purchasing public.

An object of our invention is to provide means whereby a bottle or other container may be so sealed that its re-use may be readily detected.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a cap or the like may be so secured to a container that it may not be removed without mutilation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seal for a container which may not be completely removed from the container.

We are aware that previous attempts have been made to produce a satisfactory device of this character, but it is believed that previous attempts to solve the problem have fallen short of the desired result, or have been impractical of commercial production, or unattractive in appearance, or have been so constructed that injury may be caused by sharp fragments, or possess other defects.

An object of the present invention is to overcome and correct the above mentioned imperfections and defects found in the devices of the present art.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the device applied to a bottle,

Figure 2 is a plan view Figure 3 is a view of .the cap broken away,

Figure 4 is a detail of device, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the underside of the cap in the modified form shown in Figure 4.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Our improved cap I is of the general type described in our co-pending application for patent Ser. No. 754,216, and comprises a top or cap body 2 and an integral collar 3 connected by integral spacing webs 4, 4 adapted to be broken when of the same, the device with a part of a modified form of the the bottle is opened. The said cap is preferably constructed of Bakelite or like material.

The bottle or container 5 may be of any desired type having the usual cylindrical neck 6 through which the contents of the container is poured or discharged in the usual manner.

The neck 6 of the bottle 5 is provided with an integral shoulder upon which is loosely seated an annular plate or fiat ring 8 having cut-out spring tongues 9, 9 bent upwardly to engage teeth I!) on the collar 3 when the cap I is in its normal seated position, and thereby prevent the unseating of the cap I by rotation.

The cap-body 2 and its collar 3 are provided with internal screw threads H and I2 which turn in corresponding threads on the bottle neck 6 whereby the cap I may be screwed down on the said neck and brought into contact with the plate 8 on the shoulder l.

The plate 8 is secured against rotation by means of a lug l3 seated in a groove or channel H8 in the neck 6 whereby the said plate 8 is anchored against rotation on the said neck '6.

It will thus be seen that when the cap is screwed down against the plate 8, the said cap will be engaged by the bent up tongues 9, 9 and cannot be unscrewed or unseated by rotation as the said plate 8 is anchored to the neck of the bottle.

We prefer to include in the collar 3, a ring l5 of hard steel or the like which forms a reinforcing armour or core and to provide on the collar 3 a downwardly extending peripheral bead or skirt which overlaps the shoulder 1 and to include therein the said ring l5 which prevents the collar 3 from being broken away and also prevents the insertion of an instrument between the collar 3 and the shoulder 7 whereby the tongues 9, 9 are protected and may not be unseated or disengaged from the collar 3.

We prefer to form a second shoulder IS on the neck 6 of the bottle, against which the marginal bead I! of the collar 3 is seated whereby the prying off of the collar 3 will be prevented or rendered difficult.

We prefer to construct the cap I with its lower collar portion 3 beyond the vertical plane of the cap-body or top 2 whereby protection is provided against accidental breaking of the frangible webs 4, 4 by which the cap-body 2 and its collar 3 are connected.

When so constructed, the neck 6 is provided with sections of corresponding diameter so that the cap will be firmly seated on the neck of the bottle.

When the bottle or container is filled with the desired contents, in the usual manner, the cap I is placed over the mouth thereof and screwed down on the neck whereby the plate 8 is pinched between the collar 3 and the shoulder 1 and the bent up tongues S, 9 of the plate 8 will engage the teeth in on the lower face of the collar 3 thereby preventing the collar 3 from being unseated. When the cap is thus seated and secured, the application of force to the cap for the purpose of opening the bottle by unscrewing the cap, will cause the frangible webs 4, 4 to break, thereby releasing the cap-body or top 2 from the collar 3 and permitting the cap-body or top 2 to be unscrwed and permitting the bottle to be opened.

When the cap-body or top 2 is thus removed,

however, the collar 3 will remain securely attached to the bottle, for the reasons above explained and, by its presence, will interfere with and prevent the substitution of a new cap. The removal of the broken fragment of the cap from the bottle is rendered commercially impractical and unprofitable by reason of the armour ring l5 embedded in the said collar 3 and, as the ring i5 extends downwardly and overlaps the shoulder i, it is impractical to insert any instrument between the shoulder i and the collar 3 for the purpose of detaching or disengaging the tongues 9' from their engagement with the teeth ill of the collar 3 or otherwise releasing the collar 3 and permitting its removal from the bottle.

It is thus apparent that after the bottle has been opened, the collar 3 will remain securely and permanently attached to the neck of the bottle and form an obstruction thereon which will prevent the substitution of a new cap and render obvious the fact that the bottle has been opened, so that its re-use as an original package will be obvious and certain of detection.

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, We provide an annular bead 2% on the underside of the collar 3, which forms a guard or stop to limit the movement of the cap so that the tongues ii may not be flattened out and rendered inoperative when the cap is pressed down on the shoulder I. In this form of the device, we have shown a plurality of notches 23 adapted to be engaged by the tongues 9, in place of the serrated rack it! above described.

We do not intend to limit ourselves to the dereinforcing plate'in the said bead.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a container, a longitudinal groove in the wall of the said container and a shoulder on the said container, a threaded cap on the said container and having a marginal rim seated on the said shoulder, said cap comprising a top section and a collar section and a frangible web between the said sections, means for locking the said cap against reverse rotation, said locking means comprising an annular plate having an internally disposed lug seated in the said groove in the Wall of the container and a spring tongue engaging the collar section of the said cap, and a plate in the said marginal rim of the cap protecting the said locking means.

3. In a device of the character described, the

combination of a container having a neck, a shoulder on the said neck and a second shoulder on the said neck beiow the said first named shoulder and having a diameter greater than that of the first named shoulder, a groove in the periphery of the first named shoulder, and a cap for the said container, said cap comprising a top section and a collar section, said collar section overlapping said first named shoulder and being seated on the said second shoulder, a frangible web connecting the said top and collar sections of the cap, an annular plate below the collar section of the said cap, an internally disposed lug on the said plate seated in the said groove in the first named shoulder and a spring tongue on the said plate engaging the collar section of the said cap, said plate being seated on the said second shoulder.

WARREN H. BEIDER. THOMAS M. CUNNINGHAM. 

